Highly unlikely there will be anything on All-Ireland hurling final Sunday. There might be an odd hurling match on the morning of the football final. I recall the 2012 Intermediate hurling final was played on football final day. It's not as if anyone in south Offaly is going to be watching gaelic football on television.

kaiserchief wrote:The games on the weekend of the all irelands will surely be a friday or saturday.

Does there be games on all ireland final day?

Pat Donegan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

Going to be a one man full-forward line, sweepers and systems and complications on view in St Brendan's Park, of all places. Shocking goings on. They'll have to bring St Brendan himself back to life to bless the pitch after quarter-final Saturday. That kind of craic belongs in Tellamore, not in Birr.

Pat Donegan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

SearingDrive wrote:Could the Tullamore v Clareen game be fixed for Kinnitty or Kilcormac rather than Clara, which is nearer Tullamore than Clareen.

Due to the fact that all the senior clubs are in action themselves, they had to play the games at the home venues for intermediate/junior clubs - and there are a limited amount of those. It wouldn't be fair to ask people from Kilcormac or Kinnitty to steward at one game while their own club is playing elsewhere.

Unfair to ask clubmen to steward at a game while their club is playing elsewhere !!!! Too right LS.This didn't apply to Coolderry couple weeks ago when the had a senior championship match , Rynaghs v Seir K fixed for their ground exact same time as their Intermediates played an important championship match v B/K in Crinkle.Club got no help in trying to move either game an hour back/forward.

Coolderry Clareen. I think this is very hard to know. i have a feeling that Clareen will have a point o spare this year.

Rynaghs Birr Rynaghs should win this. Birr have improved over the last few years but still a bit to go to close the gap to Rynagh.

Belmont kinnity. Kinnitty for me in this one. Belmont to impose they game plan that could change. Belmont problem are when they on top they don't kill team off.

Kilcormac shinrone. Draw. Shinrone are growing into men, It only a matter of Time before they come good. Kilcormac are blooding Players all over the place. Kilcormac have the players to take on anyone inside or outside Offaly but a team in transition.

August, the month that brings the chill in the late evening, you turn the light on and draw the curtains that bit earlier each evening, you bring a track suit with you to training. Training starts that bit earlier, come to think of it. It’s knockout hurling now, one slip and you’re gone. Goodbye until next February. That’s what’s at stake this weekend.

Seven of the eight quarter-finalists have appeared at this stage in each of the last five years, with Kinnitty the exception. St Rynagh’s and Kilcormac haven’t lost a quarter-final in that time span while Belmont haven’t won one.

Four intriguing ties, each for their own particular reasons, yet nothing so eagerly awaited that it can’t be missed. Birr v St Rynagh’s is arguably the most eagerly awaited, moreso because it is a repeat of last year’s Final, a decider that could have gone either way and was settled by a moment of individual genius.

Coolderry v Seir KieranWe say it quite a lot, particularly at this time of year – it’s time for Seir Kieran to step up now. Yet every year they disappoint. Next year will be ten years since their U21 title win and since then there has been two Senior semi-final appearances and not much else. Lacking consistency, though on paper they have the forwards who could deliver. Bergin, obviously, but James Mulrooney, Adrian Hynes and Tom Carroll are all talented forwards, while Billy Connors is also a threat. Other hand, that their second team remain involved in the Intermediate championship restricts options somewhat.

Facing them, Coolderry. Not the side they once were, but the central characters remain. Trevor and Alan Corcoran will man the defence, Kevin Brady will likely be at 6, and if not, Brendan O’Meara will be there. In attack, Brian Carroll remains in scoring form, Kevin Connolly has the pace to worry Clareen, Martin Corcoran retains a physical influence, Barry Teehan will drop deep and read breaks. And there’s always the plan B of putting Joe Brady at square’s edge to win ball and either lay it off or plant a goal.

Birr v St Rynagh’s‘Cause the sweeper’s gotta sweep, sweep, sweep. St Rynagh’s went to Waterford for a manager earlier this year, and Fintan O’Connor brings with him the Waterford way of hurling. You know the way? Full-forward lines are superfluous, the area between your own 45, line and 65m line is for crowding with bodies. The champions endured teething problems with the ‘system’ against Clareen and Shinrone in recent weeks. In fairness, the Shannonsiders are comfortable in possession anyway, are well drilled in making runs off the shoulder and in giving and taking mid range stick passes, and are probably the only Offaly team who could manage to hurl like this. How they adapt will decide passage to O’Connor Park in September.

How St Rynagh’s adapt to their system is one thing, how Birr do opposing it is quite another. Brian Mullins is composed enough in goal to ping a short puckout to a spare corner-back. That Birr rearguard has alternated a bit in recent weeks. Yet, Verney and Craig Taylor (the later who showed good form in last week’s U21 win) are good ball playing defenders. Paul Cleary would be a big loss, were he to be missing. Other hand, it’s hard to see where Birr might get scores, particularly if outnumbered. They’d need Emmet Nolan, Dylan Hayden and Seán Ryan picking off at least five points between them from distance, and hope to draw frees where Eoghan Cahill is a 9/10 freetaker and that might be Birr’s most productive route.

The match of the weekend – if only because of ‘the system’ and how it pans out. The champions to advance.

Belmont v KinnittyIf this match was played the other side of summer, Kinnitty would get an overwhelming nod. Now, they appear to have lost that momentum. Keith Bergin is a fine goalkeeper, but at this stage of the championship they need James Dempsey’s leadership between the posts, not at corner-back, or full-back. Paddy Delaney missed last week’s U21 outing, and all bets would be off if he were missing. Other hand, Stephen Molloy’s return, and return to form, is a boost. They’ll need Liam Bergin to take charge in the centre of the attack, they’ll need Aodán Kealey to boss the puckouts, and they’ll need that possession to win frees.

With three straight wins, Belmont are on their longest Senior winning streak. No other club has a goal threat like them, with Oisín Kelly and Colin Egan. They can afford to alternate with one in the half line and the other close to goal. And if David Cox can burst forward through the middle they could be in business. To win, they’ll need Kieran McManus to dominate Kealey, and whichever Nallys to get the better of Kinsella and Coughlan in midfield. Barry Egan is arguably the most competent goalkeeper in the championship, and David Kenny is decisive on square’s edge. Their biggest problem could be getting a winning supply of ball inside, and the dual situation hinders improvement.

Always hard to make a breakthrough and Kinnitty can score the 2-16 or so needed to win.

Kilcormac-Killoughey v ShinroneThis should be the most clear cut tie of the round. Kilcormac retain the forwards from the three in a row days, with Slevin, Mahon, Gorman, Currams, Kiely and the Geraghty twins all lining out in the front eight in recent weeks.. Ger Healion was sprung from the bench against Lusmagh, scoring a late 1-1 from full-forward, and more recently starting against Birr. The defence has seen some upheaval though. Conor Slevin is still in goal. Shaun Lowry and Kevin Grogan are regulars at 2 and 3 respectively, though 4 has seen Alan McConville, Oisín Mahon and Killian Leonard sited there in recent weeks. Damien Kilmartin has hurled at centre half-back since the summer with Jordan Quinn making the step up on one wing, with Enda Grogan, Killian Leonard and Oisín Mahon have completed the half-back line against Kinnitty, Lusmagh and Birr respectively.

Shinrone? Beating St Rynagh’s is something rare and wonderful for them. They won’t go any further without Conor Doughan and that he played no part against St Rynagh’s augurs badly for his availability here. That, and playing in Tullamore are two psychological disadvantages they cannot recover from.

Intermediate quarter-final wins on Friday evening for Ballinamere (over St Rynagh's) and for Drumcullen (over Coolderry) ensure the winners qualify for Senior B grade next year, while the losers will be in the new Intermediate grade.

Ballinamere, who really shouldn't have been relegated last year, were much the better side and the Shannonsiders had no answer to Phil McDermott and Gerry Spollen in defence and to Paddy Murphy's fetching and scorimg, and to Stephen Weir in attack.

Pat Donegan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

4 Cracking match in the senior. Clareen just about getting over the line. Which is a huge improvement on what they normal do. Rynagh's were look in trouble and pull it out of the fire. Belmont fire power and general Power, Won out in the end.Kilcormac Killoughey half backs dragged them over the line.

Coolderry, Birr, Kinnitty and Shinrone all could have won on a different day. Good to see 8 teams of an excellent standard in Offaly.

Kilcormac Killoughey Vs Belmont, St. Rynagh's vs Seir KieranCould be two good games.I believe Brian Cowen is to Referee both.